No major news to report — I am immersed in Nathan Heller research and will be writing in a few weeks. I also plan to start RETURN TO PERDITION (graphic novel for DC/Vertigo) this coming week.
I will be reverting to the pattern I kept to for many, many years of my career when I was writing comics more regularly and often working on a Heller novel — giving one day a week to comics (usually Wednesday) and spending the rest on the novel. I’m older, of course, and may need to make some adjustments; but I relish returning to the routine of those halcyon days, and can’t wait to get going on Heller. My research associate George Hagenauer will soon be coming to Muscatine for a two or three day session to pull all the research together, and refine the plot.
Terry Beatty came through town this week and we talked about RETURN TO PERDITION, and had our first (brief) story conference on what the MS. TREE graphic novel will be. No, we haven’t signed contracts yet, and the flurry of interest on the web (however gratifying) is probably premature.
Matthew Clemens and I got together and plotted the follow-up to next year’s Kensington serial killer thriller, YOU CAN’T STOP ME.
G.I. JOE killed at the box office on its first weekend; as I write this, I don’t know how it fared second week out. A couple of nice reviews for the books appeared on the net:
Bookgasm: G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA
Luke Reviews: G.I. JOE: ABOVE AND BEYOND
And a belated but welcome BLACK HATS review came from UK crime fiction expert Michael Carlson:
Irresistible Targets: BLACK HATS
Two movies I would heartily recommend: DISTRICT 9, a little exposition-heavy in its opening docu reels, but overall one of the best films for many months and an incredible ride with a great heart despite Peter Jackson-approved splatter; and a DVD release (BLU-RAY, too) THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD, with Colin Hanks wonderful in a show biz-tinged coming of age tale…this disappeared at the box office, so catch up with it now — John Malkovich essentially plays the Amazing Kreskin, and it’s funny and way too true. Somebody called Tom Hanks does well in a small role — he shows promise.
See you next week.
M.A.C.
Tags: Black Hats, GI Joe, Nathan Heller, Perdition, Return to Perdition, Reviews